Road Trip Virgin:Need Advice

[imported_Ryan]

Hi,we are thinking about going on a road trip from Boston to New York down towards Florida. We are flying over from Ireland specifically for this so we won't have our own car (yes we have cars in Ireland!) so we are going to rent a SUV. We are all only 21, I understand that the age for renting is 25 but the Car companies add on a daily charge if you are between 21-25. Anyway we are planning in stopping off for a few days in a few cities like New York, Washington then maybe Myrtle Beach and this is when we won't need our rented SUV. Do you think it would make more sense leaving the car back to its company every time we make a few days stop over or keep it for the whole two and half weeks ? Hope you understand!! Thanks.

[imported_Bob]

You will find that not all companies will rent to persons under 25 -- some will, some won't. There will be a higher daily rate probably, plus, there will be an additional charge for one way rental -- what they typically call a "drop-off" charge. You'd get the cheapest rates if you return to the same location where you picked up. I think it would cost you MUCH more to rent for the shorter distances as you suggest, because for the longer period there are usually reduced rates ("weekly" rates save $$$ over "daily" rates), so it would probably be cheaper to rent for the whole period and let the car sit while you explore the cities. That said, you'll find the SUV is one of the most expensive vehicles to rent because they are so popular.

Check out the AMTRAK rail pass for international visitors -- you may find it a less expensive way to do what you want to do -- it works just like a Eurail or BritPass -- you get X number of days of travel for a flat rate. Unlike trains in Great Britain, though, you have to make reservations to get a seat). The service along the eastern seaboard of the USA (your route)is very good, I believe. Other choices that could be less expensive are the Greyhound Bus Lines or even discount airfare. Doesn't hurt to check around! Bob

i agree. i live in New York but have done my fair share of road tripping. you may be best off riding the rails for your East Coast trip. AMTRAK services pretty much the entire Eastern Seaboard and runs through almost all of the major coastal cities from Boston to Miami including New York, Philly, Baltimore, DC, and on down. i am 26 years old and can tell you that it'll probably be very expensive for you and your friends to try to rent an SUV going one-way down the coast as 21 year olds. also when you take into account the high cost of gasoline in the States right now (though i don't know ... maybe it's bad in Europe right now as well. if i remember correctly, 10-some years ago, prices in Europe were 2x US prices for gas). plus, on the railways, you'll never have to deal with the horrific traffic of the boston to dc metro corridor.